Foot-ball dummy.



EIFAUVER & n. c. KENAN.

FOOT BALL DUMMY. APPLICATION FI LED APR. 14. 19!].

Patnted June 11, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR FAUVER AND DAN CUMMINS KEIN'AN, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

FOOT-BALL DUMMY.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11,1918.

Application flled Apr il 14, 1917. Serial No. 162,168

in football dummies, and the object of our improvement is to produce a dummy suitable for being set up in an athletic field for use in training football players 1n tacklmg and the like, and that is strongly and substantially built, so as to be rellable and adapted to withstand rough usage and without liability of injury to the players, and that at the same time can-be made at moderate cost.

In the accompanying draw1ngs:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our 1m- 7 proved football dummy.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional new on an enlarged scale on the line a: a: of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the metal frame.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the inner body structure.

Our improved football dummy compr ses an elongated cylindrical structure havmg a cylindrical main part 10, prpvlded wlth an enlarged base 11, of appreciable weight and rigidity, inclosed in a casing 12 of canvas or partly canvas and partly leather, and having a layer 13 of cushioning material of appreciable thickness on the outer portlon of the structure, immediately below the said casing 12.

As shown, the casing 12 is formed of leather for the entire enlarged base portion 14, has a leather upper end portion 15 that covers the top and extends downwardly from the said top in cylindrical form for an appreciable distance along the upper body portion and the intermedlate portion '16 extendingalong the major part of the cylmdrical main part 10 is of canvas.

Axially positioned within the casing 12 is a skeleton frame structure of metal composed of a circular top plate 17 at the upper end, a circular bottom plate 18 at the lower end, and a rod 19 inter-connectmg the centers of the said plates 17 and-18. The entire frame structure is vshorter than the dummy structure, the plates 17 and 18 being in spaced relation to the opposed ends of the said structure, the intervening space n each case being filled with the cushioning material of the cushioning layer 13 already mentioned.

Similarly the edges of the said plates'17 and 18 are spaced from the opposed side walls and separated therefrom by a layer of cushioning material.

The bottom plate 18 is larger than the top plate 17 and is housed within the lower part of the base structure 11, which as mentioned is larger than the main part 10.

Incorporated with the frame so as to form therewith a core or inner body portion is a filling material 20 of relatively coarse character, such as saw-dust, inclosed in an inner casing 21 of suitable strong and coarse fabrio, such as burlap or sacking, the said filling material filling the space between the plates 17 and 18, the casing 21 extending over the outer faces of the said plates. The saw-dust or other material is packed thoroughly in place around the rod 19 and against the end plates 17 and 18, so that the inner body structure is relatively firm and non-yielding.

The outer casing 12 is larger all around than the inner body structure, and is separated on all sides therefrom by a space 13 that as mentioned is filled with a suitable cushioning material such as felt.

The cushioning material 13 is packed firmly in place so as to prevent displacement and at the same time retain sufficient resiliency to effect when in use a cushioning of the contact when forcibly encountered by the player.

While it is understood that the dimensions may be varied considerably, we find the following dimensions to be satisfactory. The frame structure is composed of a top plate 10 inches in diameter, and a bottom plate 14 inches in diameter, connected by a rod 3 feet and 6 inches in length.

The inner body structure conforms for the upper and major part to the dimensions of the top plate 17, and at the lower end portion 22 is expanded to meet the edges of the bottom plate 18.

The outer space 13 filled with the cushioning material is about 3 inches in depth on the top and sides and somewhat more than double this at the base. Accordingly, the overall length is about 4; feet, the diameter of the mam part 10 is about 16 inches,

- Q meaoce and the diameter of the base 11'is about 28. inches. A y v The dummy structure as described has appreciable stability particularlyso on account of the enlarged base,- and ofiers appreciable resistance when used for tackling and is adapted to be used individually or to be set up in groups or various combinations with other similar dummies as may be de sired.

We claim as our invention 1. A foot ball dummy comprisinga gen-.

erally c lindrical structure havingan enlarged ase, having an outer casing of fibrous material, a layer of cushioning material immediately within the said casing, and a relatively rigid inner core structure inclose by the said cushioning material.

2. A football dummy comprising an elongated structure composed of a core structure, and acushioning structure vinclosing the said core structure, and the said core structure comprising a frame composed; of

a pair of end plates and a rod connecting the said plate, -fi11in space between the saiv plates, and an inner casing, inclosing'the said frame and filling material. Y D

3. A foot ball dummy comprisin an elongated structure having ac lindrical main part and anenlar ed ase, aving a frame of metal. compos of a top and a bottom plate connected by a rod, filling material housed between the said plates, cushioning material exterior to the said filling material and frame, and the said bottom late being appreciably larger than the said top plate and positioned within the said enlarged base.

EDGAR FAUVER. DAN OUMMINS KENAN.

Witnesses:

LEONARD 0. RYAN, Loms M. SCHMIDT.

material filling] the 25 

